


Generation 1, Part 2

by alicecrow6



Series: An ever growing family of Bats and Birds [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batkids Age Reversal, Damian Wayne is Blackbird, Gen, Harper Row is Bluebird
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27573509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicecrow6/pseuds/alicecrow6
Summary: Damian Wayne- Black Bird (12)Harper Row- Bluebird (9)This is the second in a series of Batkids Age Reversal fics where Damian comes first, then Harper, then Duke and so on.
Relationships: Harper Row & Damian Wayne
Series: An ever growing family of Bats and Birds [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998205
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Generation 1, Part 2

“Look, I get it! You think I’ll be a liability but I promise you if you just give me a chance-”

“No,” Batman said firmly, like he could shut down the idea before it took root.

“Please!” the girl tried once more.

“No,” Batman said again, ready to turn around and leave. Damian was about to leave with him when something caught his eye.

“What's that?” Damian asked, saying his first words to the girl. The girl looked up from where she was frowning at the ground. She looked briefly surprised before a smile lit up her face.

“This is my own invention, it follows a command based on a specific whistle I make,” the girl says excitedly showing off her gadget. It looked like a small metal bird with sharp wings.

Damian felt his eyebrows raise in appreciation.

“That's very impressive,” he told her honestly. She grinned up at him confidently and Damian had no doubt that she already knew that. Damian felt his own smirk answer in response.

“Blackbird,” Batman interrupted. Damian sighed in disappointment, he would have loved to pick apart her brain but alas.

“Goodbye,” Damian said with a nod, already knowing that he’d be back soon.

“Bye,” the girl said with less enthusiasm.

Once again Damian wondered why his father was so firm about not allowing this girl to join their crusade.

Don't get him wrong, she wasn't the most physically threatening, but she had already demonstrated her intelligence more than made up for it. The fact that she figured out Batman’s hold on Gotham’s electrical grid was more than a little impressive. 

And besides, with a little training she’d be strong in body as well as mind.

A week later and Damian saw her once again, this time without Batman. He watched her take out a few muggers from afar with a rifle that seemed to shoot out electricity.

Her aim was okay but she could certainly be better. At this point, it was obvious that she was only able to hit her targets because of her familiarity with her invention.

Damian didn't bother weighing the pros and cons of what he was about to do, he already knew he was going to do it.

He dropped in behind her and waited until she was done before revealing himself.

“Good job” Damian had read that positive reinforcement was essential for students in the beginning stages of their work. The girl wasn't his student yet but it was best he got used to it. Plus it would help endear him to her.

“Jesus Christ!” the girl shouted, holding a hand to her chest as though to stave off a heart attack. Seeing as she was somewhere between 8 and 11 Damian found that hard to believe.

“Actually my name is Blackbird” Damian attempted to joke.

She did not laugh.

Damian stared at her awkwardly and she stared back just as awkwardly.

The two stood there.

And stood there.

And stood there.

And stood there.

And stood there.

And stood there.

And stood there- “um hi, what are you doing here?” the girl finally interrupted.

Damian gave a silent sigh of relief.

“I thought you had potential and so have decided to train you,” Damian answered bluntly. There was no need to waste time.

“What?” 

“Did you not hear me the first time?” Damian said sarcastically.

“No- no, I heard you! I’m just a little confused about why. Didn’t Batman say he wouldn’t train me?” The girl looked around like suddenly Batman would appear out of nowhere and shout sike.

The appearing out of nowhere was on-brand but the sike part was not. So technically, she had nothing to worry about.

“Yes but I’m not Batman,” Damian said. The girl looked at him.

“Oh, um, okay then?” she asked. Her voice was still slightly confused.

“Yes,” Damian nodded.

“So… how are you going to train me?” she fiddled slightly with her rifle and Damian wondered if she’d accidentally shoot him with it.

“Well, first I’d like your name” Damian was a little tired of referring to her as “the girl” in his head.

“I- I can't give you my name!” she sputtered out. Damian rolled his eyes.

“Not your civilian ID, your code name” Damian suppressed the urge to sneer, barely.

“Oh, Bluebird” Bluebird, was she serious?

Damian looked at her.

And looked at her.

And looked at her.

And looked at her.

And looked at her.

And looked at her.

And looked at her.

“I'm sorry your name is Bluebird?” Damian asked incredulously.

“Yes?” the girl asked more than said.

“Oh my god,” Damian brought a hand to his head and rubbed his forehead.

“Well one of us is going to have to change and it’s not gonna be me because I’ve had my name longer,” Damian told her.

“Okay, my name is nothing like yours” Bluebird defended.

“I’m Blackbird, your Bluebird. It makes it seem like we planned this!” Damian pointed wildly.

“Well, it was either this or Bluebat!” Bluebird

“That's not any better! Do you not have any originality?”

“I have plenty of originality. And here's another thing, I’m not gonna change my codename. Guess we're just stuck being Blackbird and Bluebird huh,” Bluebird said hotly. Damian felt a headache threaten to overwhelm him.

“I like your boots,” Damian commented one patrol. It was a passing comment, one made more from boredom than any actual interest.

“Thanks, I just made them!” Damian immediately perked up. This was bound to be interesting.

“That punch was ridiculously weak. I’m kinda insulted right now” Damian said as he swerved away from another attempt.

“How about you stand still and I’ll give you a punch worthy of your stupid little face,” Bluebird hissed.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit” one of the goons muttered repeatedly.

“What is it man?” another asked.

“Heard that Blackbird’s gone solo and picked up a new partner. This one’s apparently even more tech savvy than the bat” the man whispered.

“Damn fucking straight I am!” Bluebird interrupted, jumping into the fray without another word. Damian held back a tried sigh and jumped in after her.

“I thought you were Bi” Damian attempts to joke. Bluebird gives a pity snort.

“Your jokes would be better if you didn't say them in utter deadpan” she comments as she ducks beneath a thug’s fist.

“Au contraire my young grasshopper, I’ve learned that if I say my jokes in deadpan there is a twenty percent increase in the likelihood of laughter,” Damian slashes a criminal in the arm and knocks out another in the next breath.

“You researched this?” Bluebird asked flabbergasted. She kicked a woman in the crotch and watched her go down.

“You didn't?” 

His father dropped the newspaper in front of Damian and he already knew what was about to go down.

“Goddamnit Damian, you were given orders to not interact with her!”

“I had heard and understood your orders but have ultimately decided that they are unwarranted and so have chosen to disregard them”

“You don't get to just disregard any order you don't agree with! This isn't how this works! You either listen to all my orders or your no longer Batman’s partner”

“Here’s the thing about the word partner, it implies a level of equality that I see we do not have. Very well, effective immediately Blackbird is no longer Batman’s partner but rather Bluebird’s” Damian said emotionlessly.

“Damian get back here,” Batman ordered.

“Damian” Bruce said.

“Damian please,” his father asked.

“Wow man, that’s fucked” Bluebird says articulately. Damian huffs out a breathy laugh.

“Yeah”

“Shit, I feel kinda bad now. Fuck,” Bluebird runs a hand through her hair nervously and looks at him.

“You are not the one at fault,” Damian tries to reassure.

The two sit in silence for a few minutes.

“Um hey, seeing as we're partners now, I figure it’s time you know who I am” she stumbles a bit at her first words and Damian immediately tries to stop her.

“There’s no need for th-”

“I want to Blackbird” She interrupts. She reaches up and pulls off her mask, she clutches it nervously in her hand before stretching out her other in a handshake.

“Hi, I'm Harper Row”

Damian looks at her hand before looking back at her face. He hesitantly reaches up and pulls off his own mask. He sees the instant that realization sets in and relishes in it. He grins smugly.

“Hello, my name is Damian Wayne”

“Damian,” Bruce says as soon as he returns a month later. He had been sustaining himself on thievery and Harper’s goodwill which made him more than a little uncomfortable seeing as her living situation was already so bad. Though if nothing else her brother was adorable.

“Father,” Damian nods back.

The two don't speak for a little while, the tension rising with every second that goes by without a word.

“I'm sorry” Bruce finally says. 

Damian’s eyes widen in surprise before a small smile appears.

“So I guess that your back to being Batman’s partner huh?” Harper asks bitterly. Damian feels his heart clench.

“Just because I’m Batman’s partner doesn't make me any less of Bluebird’s too. Birds of a feather and all that” Damian tells her.

Harper chokes on a laugh and Damian knows that they're alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Damian Wayne- Black Bird (12)  
> Harper Row- Bluebird (9)
> 
> Duke is up next.


End file.
